With Pittsburgh hosting the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1957, it’s fitting that the Panthers will send five wrestlers to enjoy the hometown advantage: Micky Phillippi, Demetrius Thomas, Taleb Rahmani, Nino Bonaccorsi and Kellan Stout.

Pitt’s Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team was voted Pitt’s best club sport.
“I think that we are the hardest working team in the country every year in terms of time we put in,” fifth-year senior and captain Hafeez Shams said

Kyler Murray declared for the NFL Draft and in the end, it’s going to cause more harm than good. He won’t become the high draft selection he hoped for and the Oakland A’s will lose because they wasted their No. 9 pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. This moment in history will be known as “The Oakland Screw Job.”

With 15 varsity sports, it is expected that some Pitt alums go on to become professional athletes. While some, like former Pitt football player James Conner, are more well known, there are still Panthers from all different sports performing at the professional level.

Last season, the Pitt men’s track and field team came in last place in the ACC indoor competition. while the women’s team finished 12th out of 15 teams. They believe they can drastically improve on that in 2018.

After losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament the past two years, Pitt volleyball thought 2018 was its year — but Michigan ended the Panthers’ dreams of dancing into the Sweet 16 on Saturday night.

Valerie Daigneault is undefeated in her swimming events so far this season. The volleyball team improved to 25-1 on the season and the wrestling team only has one more week until their season begins. You can read about all of that and more in this week’s weekend sports recap.

Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke announced the addition of the women’s lacrosse team on Thursday, its first season will be in spring 2022. Pitt’s last varsity sports addition was over 20 years ago when women’s softball was added in 1998.

The Panther's saw promise and defeat this weekend, as the volleyball, men and women's soccer, and cross country teams competed throughout the country. Through a tough tournament, the women's volleyball team remains undefeated.

Head coach Holly Aprile announced her resignation from Pitt Softball on Sunday. The announcement comes after the softball team’s most successful season yet, which included the program’s first ACC Coastal Division title in its history.

Billy Buckner is a name that lives in infamy throughout the baseball world. Remembered for letting a ground ball pass right between his legs during the 1986 World Series, he cost the Boston Red Sox what would have been their first World Series Championship in 68 years. Instead, the New York Mets took...

Joe Jordano resigned as head coach of Pitt’s baseball team Thursday night, according to a report from the Post-Gazette. An official announcement released by the University Friday afternoon confirmed his resignation.
“I am honored to have had the opportunity to lead this program with integrity, pas...

After finishing the regular season as the 12th seed in the ACC Tournament, the Pitt men’s baseball team pulled off two incredible upsets against eighth-seeded Georgia Tech and top overall seed North Carolina. Although the Panthers would go on to lose in the semifinal to Louisville, it was a strong ...

Two Panthers were selected into the MLB on the second day of the 2018 draft, marking the sixth year in a row that Pitt has had at least one player picked to join the league.
RJ Freure
The Houston Astros drafted Pitt rising junior relief pitcher RJ Freure in the sixth round with the 192nd pick of the...

Pitt’s swimming and diving program announced 12 new additions to the upcoming 2018-19 season on Friday. These dozen athletes join the seven other members of the Class of 2018, announced last November.
“We believe that each of these kids has the potential to leave Pitt as an accomplished student and a phenomenal athlete,” Pitt head coach John Hargis sai...

While it was an exciting run, all good things must end — and that’s what happened for the Pitt baseball team Saturday afternoon when a 5-2 loss to the No. 5 Louisville Cardinals put an end to the No. 12 Panthers’ ACC Baseball Championship bid in the semifinal round in Durham, North Carolina.
A...

The Panthers softball team finished its most successful season yet with a 33-18-1 record, earning head coach Holly Aprile the ACC Coach of the Year honor. With two victories over Louisville earlier this month, the Panthers ended the season as ACC Coastal Champions for the first time in school history — and...

The Pitt softball team earned a crucial 9-8 victory over Louisville Friday afternoon to clinch first place in the ACC Coastal Division — marking the team’s first division championship in its 20-year history. The Panthers then took a victory lap on Saturday with a 10-2 win in their second game against...

Athletic Director Heather Lyke wants to “flip” the basketball court at the Petersen Events Center.
She announced that the Athletic Department will be changing the layout of the court at a media roundtable discussion at the Pete Wednesday morning.
According to Lyke, when Pitt built the eve...

Students hardly have time to work out during the semester, but finding time for physical activity becomes even more of a hassle when finals roll around. Putting time in to study for finals may take precedent this week, but there are plenty of benefits to finding a way to work in a quick run or worko...

The Panthers come out of this weekend with records set on the track and with both the baseball and softball teams continuing their winning ways on the diamond. As students fight through finals this week, the Panthers are sprinting through the finish line.
Baseball
Pitt went 2-1 this weekend against Miami, moving th...

Pitt softball moved to within two games of first place in the ACC coastal division after winning their second game in a row, 6-4, against the Kent State Golden Flashes Wednesday.
Coming off a series win against Georgia Tech, the Panthers (23-16-1) looked to remain on track on what’s been a somewh...

After winning a huge series against Georgia Tech this past weekend, Pitt baseball looked to stay hot and get revenge on nonconference opponent Kent State. In the second of two matchups between the two clubs this season, Pitt failed to get a runner across home, losing 2-0.
The Panthers (19-15) suffered a shutout loss...

This past weekend for Pitt Athletics looked like a repeat of the one before it. Track athletes again set personal bests and nabbed top finishes as softball and baseball each won two of three and tennis continued to struggle.
Baseball
Like tennis and softball, the baseball team also hosted Georg...

Pitt’s bats fell silent on Wednesday as they were unable to score more than one run for the third straight game, losing 12-1 to the West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown.
West Virginia’s (15-15) offense found life against Pitt (17-13) in the 195th Backyard Brawl and handed the second straigh...

After falling behind early in the game, the Pitt baseball team was unable to catch up to Kent State, ultimately falling 4-1 to the Golden Flashes Tuesday.
The Panthers (17-12 overall, 6-9 ACC) lost to the Golden Flashes (18-10, MAC) in an out-of-conference matchup at the Charles L. Cost Field.
...

Looking back on Pitt’s season, it is hard not to be impressed with the progress the gymnastics team has made under first-year head coach Samantha Snider. Despite finishing at a meager 7-18, new program records and history-making performances defined the Panthers’ season.
The Panthers closed out their 2018 season Ap...

Conference play is well underway for spring sports, with some Pitt teams performing much better than others. As regular seasons come to a close, here are some standout athletes of the last few weeks.
Liam Sabino
After dropping its first three series in ACC play against Virginia Tech, North Ca...

Though some students may be struggling with the stresses that the end of the semester brings, Pitt athletes weren’t cracking under the pressure over the weekend. Track athletes continue to set personal bests, the baseball team improved on their impressive win percentage and the softball team registere...

The Pitt gymnastics team competed in the NCAA Regional Championship in the St. John Arena at Ohio State University Saturday, placing fifth overall out of six teams and finishing with a score of 195.125.
This season — Samantha Snider’s first year as head coach — was the first time since 2013 ...

Senior Desiree Garland never intended to become a collegiate sprinter — she began her high school career as a jumper. But after she finished with the best 400-meter time in replacement of a missing teammate at one high school meet, Garland’s path as a sprinter was set.
She claimed Pitt’s fi...

For a team that won just three games last year, hiring one of the most successful women’s soccer coaches in the country might seem unlikely.
But that’s just what athletic director Heather Lyke announced in December with the hiring of Randy Waldrum to lead the struggling program.
Waldrum has been coaching soccer for the last 30 years. He comes to Pitt as one of the winningest head coaches ...

A quick glance at the men’s top 10 world tennis rankings reveals that no two players share the same country of origin. The same can be said for the top eight women in the world — an unusual trend considering certain nations tend to specialize and often dominate in other sports.
A microcosm of...

Pitt baseball snagged their third victory in a row this season with a 9-5 win over Youngstown State Tuesday night.
The softball team was also set to take on Penn State the same evening, but the game was canceled due to rain.
The Panthers (15-10, 4-8 ACC) swapped runs with the Penguins (8-18, 6-3 Horizon) th...

On quiet upper campus yesterday evening, an eager crowd gathered to support the Pitt cheerleaders and Dance Team. Under the bright lights of the Petersen Events Center, the teams showcased their polished routines, which will debut at the National Cheer Association and National Dance Association Colleg...

The Panthers’ track and field team found both faltered and found success from coast to coast during the weekend while Pitt baseball, softball and tennis stayed home for conference matchups.
Track and Field
The Pitt track and field team had a jam-packed weekend, with athletes competing in fou...

In the scorching Texas heat, five Pittsburgh track athletes competed in the annual Texas Relays — the second biggest relays in the country — at the University of Texas at Austin.
The Panthers sent four women — seniors Morgan Harvey, Quadaisha Newkirk and Lalia Ismail and first year Breanna Phil...

Pitt softball (17-12-1) traveled to Athens Wednesday to take on Ohio University (15-12) in a non conference matchup. Pitt baseball was scheduled to take on West Virginia University in the 156th Backyard Brawl in Morgantown, but the game was canceled due to rain.
In Ohio, the Bobcats shut down the P...

Basketball season may be officially over for Pitt, but it was still a packed weekend for athletics, as four teams took the stage with varied results.
Gymnastics saw strong individual performances once again and softball swept their series. Baseball had a mixed bag against a ranked Duke, and tenn...

It was an up-and-down weekend for Pitt athletics, as some Panthers were at the hands of crushing defeat, while others found themselves above all the rest. Although baseball and women’s tennis struggled and gymnastics came up just short, softball and track and field both found success in North Carolina...

The Pitt swimming and diving team said goodbye to some of its most accomplished female divers in program history at the NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships in Columbus, Ohio, this past weekend. The Panthers had four athletes compete across seven events, with two earning top-25 finishes...

The NCAA Wrestling Championships took place this past weekend at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Pitt was represented by senior Dom Forys, redshirt sophomore Taleb Rahmani and redshirt seniors Nick Zanetta and Ryan Solomon.
Forys and Rahmani provided the only highlights of the Panthers’ tournament...

While the Pitt swimming and wrestling teams send their top individuals to compete at end-of-season tournaments, the baseball and softball squads are just beginning to get into the swing of things. Here are some of the Panthers’ top performers during the transition from winter to spring sports.
Gio...

Spring break was anything but for the Pitt baseball and softball teams, as both found themselves involved in heated competition over the past week. Both teams found mixed results, the baseball team earning its first conference win of the season and the softball team ending break with a three-game losing ...

While students fled to warm weather and sandy beaches over break, Pitt sports had a busy week. The women’s diving team saw members qualify for nationals, but gymnastics fell short despite a solid performance. Tennis had mixed results and is still seeking the team’s first ACC win, even with near p...

As winter sports athletes are attempting to close out their seasons, the spring sports are just getting started.
And while some members of the track and field team set personal bests and both baseball and softball hit the diamond with winning weekends, both Panthers basketball squads and the tennis ...

Though some Pitt runners brought home personal bests from the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend in Clemson, South Carolina, the men’s and women’s teams both struggled overall.
Senior Desiree Garland made program history Saturday, earning Pitt’s first-ever ACC women’s in...

Pitt Men’s swimming and diving partook in the 2018 ACC Men's Swimming and Diving Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in North Carolina on Saturday, setting records and placing multiple athletes.
Sophomore Brian Ramsey set a school record in the Saturday morning races in the 200m breaststroke with ...

Much like last week against Duke, the team registered seven victories to take down the University of Virginia Friday night for the final home match of the season at the Pete. The win moves the team to 4-10 on the season and 2-3 in the ACC.
Click here to read the weekend recap
...

It was a quiet weekend on upper campus as Pitt sports traveled across the states to take on new and familiar foes.
While many students stayed in Oakland this weekend, the baseball team travelled to Florida to compete against Oakland University. And while Pittsburgh experienced some snow, baseball and s...

Despite being outperformed by eight of the 12 other teams, the Pitt women’s swimming and diving team showed significant signs of improvement, breaking 11 school records last weekend at the ACC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.
Though they improved on last year’s score by 66 points, the Pa...

While the Pirates just sent their pitchers and catchers down to Bradenton, Florida, for spring training, the Pitt baseball and softball teams are already getting started in their 2018 campaigns.
Both Pitt squads are coming off of difficult seasons that saw each team finish with losing records in ...

While some Panthers started off seasons strong this weekend, others continued painful bouts of loss.
The softball team dominated their opening weekend in sunny California, and wrestling saw the clouds part on a four-game losing streak, the men’s basketball got drenched in another record-setting ...

It was a weekend for the record books, as Pitt sports topped past streaks in wins and losses.
The track and field team broke two school records with best times, while men’s basketball broke the record for longest losing streak in a season with 11 straight and wrestling, tennis and gymnastics fell...

Gymnastics has always provided first-year gymnast Haley Brechwald a creative space to learn and have fun.
“Gymnastics is a crazy sport because there is just always something new to learn,” Brechwald said. “You never really get bored or tired of it.”
She fell in love with the sport when ...

When former Pitt track and field coach John Vasvary first came to Pitt, he was looking for someone to help him find his way. Help came quickly from Rande Stottlemyer.
“I became head coach in 1982. I didn’t know anyone except the administrative staff,” Vasvary said. “Rande was one of the fir...

Though Pitt athletics experienced a few bright spots this weekend — which included record-setting performances and wins — there were usual losses for Pitt’s struggling teams.
While both Pitt men’s and women’s basketball suffered double-digit defeats at home and wrestling lost a grapple to ...

Rande Stottlemyer, an iconic former Pitt wrestler and longtime coach, died today due to complications of early onset Alzheimer's, according to the University. He was 62.
Stottlemyer — whose association with Pitt spanned nearly four decades — was a three-time All-American wrestler for the Panthers. Enrolling...

With the 24th pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft, Los Angeles FC selected Pitt senior defender Pol Calvet Planellas on Friday, Jan. 19.
Los Angeles selected Planellas with the first pick of the second round. With this being LA’s first year in the MLS, Planellas became their third pick in club histo...

It was a packed weekend for Pitt sports, as teams both claimed historic victories and continued prolonged losing streaks.
Pitt gymnastics made history setting a new program record, and the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams claimed decisive victories. Still, men’s basketball continued ...